Rant about unbelievable software insufficiencies

[Franklan]

All companies are currently bragging and throwing around superlatives about AI and who knows what, but the simplest things where AI could be helpful are not being addressed.

What I mean:

I am bilingual, German is my mother tongue, and I learned English as a second language. My private mobile phone has German Android.

OK, let's take WhatsApp on my private mobile phone as an example: The autocorrect function only works in German (yes, I know I can change it to another language manually somewhere, the problem is being fixed to just one language).

There are people I communicate with in German, and that's where the German autocorrection help is useful. But I also have people with whom I have had lengthy conversations in English, who reply in English, and as soon as I write in English, this bloody German autocorrection changes ‘house’ to ‘Hause’, ‘build’ to ‘bilden’, “take” to ‘Tage’, etc.

It can't be that difficult to deduce from the previous course of the conversation thread that this is a conversation in English! And that autocorrect hints by changing English words to German words is not a helpful thing!

But no, according to the WhatsApp homepage (which belongs to the Meta group, as does Facebook), this is 'by design'. Even if I would write Romulan, the bloody German autocorrect would kick in.

Guys, this can be done smarter, really.

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Do you know other examples when software is done that stupid?

[Eric7]

My Android doesn't do that...
I have the language set to English and can type in German and it gives me the correct autocorrect suggestions.
Samsung S23 Ultra, Android 15, One UI 7.0.

I could rant about subscription based software but that's a different story.

[PandaMunich]

as soon as I write in English, this bloody German autocorrection changes ‘house’ to ‘Hause’, ‘build’ to ‘bilden’, “take” to ‘Tage’, etc.

I would just turn off autocorrect.

[Fraufruit]

In Whatsapp, I just toggle the space bar left and right for English or German. Seems to work fine.

[bethannbitt]

I've got an iPhone and there's a keyboard switch icon available. I do occasionally need a refresher course on this on all my devices. For that I consult the Chilean-German teenagers upstairs who switch between Spanish, German, and English at the speed of light.

[alma.freya]

I don't think the system keyboard has permission to read through your WhatsApp chat (or anything else on your screen) to determine the preferred language.

Your keyboard settings should have the option to add multiple languages which you can then toggle between using a button next to the spacebar or long tapping on the space bar. I use Gboard, but I know Samsung Keyboard also has the same settings.

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